Taylor Swifts Vegas Feud Takes Shocking Turn

A  residency would be the cherry on top of 's latest era.

But as rumors swirl about the pop sensation assuming the role of 'Showgirl' for a possible stint in Sin City, could one woman bring the down the curtain?

In March, Las Vegas-based performer Maren Wade , 35, for trademark infringement. Wade, 43, says she has spent more than a decade building her brand, Confessions of a Showgirl, which she claims is under threat from Swift's latest album, The Life of a Showgirl.

Now, a well-placed insider has told the Daily Mail that far from needing money, Wade, real name Maren Flagg, may have filed to protect herself amid ongoing rumors that Swift is preparing to announce performances in Las Vegas under her Life of a Showgirl banner.

'It was definitely shocking to friends when the news came out,' the source told us. 'Her show is Confessions of a Showgirl, not The Life of a Showgirl. It's a little confusing, but she has been building this brand for over a decade.'

'If you can have a steady gig in Vegas, everyone's going to want [a residency],' they continued. 'What she could be hoping to get out of this is to protect her brand, that she can continue.'

They added: 'And maybe it was pre-emptive because obviously there are all these rumors that Taylor is coming to do a residency. So maybe this was just her way of saying, "Look, I need to protect my brand in my city" before she gets a cease and desist and [she] can't do a show called Confessions of a Showgirl because Taylor's doing her residency called the Life of a Showgirl.'

Just days after filing on March 30, Wade was spotted walking a dog alongside an unidentified friend on a sunny Vegas day. In photos exclusively obtained by the Daily Mail, the self-proclaimed 'showgirl' was seen wearing dark shades beneath a sun visor as well as a gray long sleeve and dark joggers - a markedly different ensemble than the feather headdresses and glittering outfits seen on her social media.

When Swift announced her latest album in August 2025, while appearing on Travis Kelce's New Heights podcast, sources told us that a Las Vegas residency was in the cards.

'The rumors of a residency in Vegas are true, but nothing is set in stone when it comes to whether she will do anything at The Sphere, Caesars, Park MGM,' said one insider at the time. 'All these discussions and logistics are ongoing.'

Another source added: 'She is eyeing seven dates at a venue in Vegas but does not want it to follow the regular model of a residency as her main focus will be a tour.'

Wade saturated her TikTok and Instagram accounts with more than 20 posts referencing Swift, from using her songs to multiple hashtags ('#Swifties,' '#thelifeofashowgirl,' '#taylornation') in an apparent bid to use the singer to promote her Confessions brand.

Dressed in her signature pink showgirl outfit, Wade joked in one video that 'one of us is gonna have to change' in reference to the album dropping in her birthday month. In another she begs Swift for help with getting the traffic light system overhauled in Las Vegas.

Prior to this she had not mentioned Swift. 

But her feelings towards the Grammy winner appear to have soured somewhere between October 2025 and March when she filed a lawsuit accusing Swift, Universal Music Group and Bravado International Group Merchandising Services Inc of trademark infringement. 

The married mother of one is seeking a court order to block Swift's use of her Showgirl brand and is seeking unspecified damages for 'the irreparable harm to her business, reputation, and goodwill.'

Wade, who describes herself as 'Showgirl, Singer, Host' in her Instagram bio, fears her brand is at risk of being drowned out by Swift's marketing and that she might be seen as 'imitation' when in fact she applied to trademark 'Confessions of a Showgirl' way back in May 2014. It was registered the following year and renewed on December 3, 2025.

Swift filed an application with the trademark office last year for using 'Life of a Showgirl' for live performances. This was rejected by the office citing potential confusion with Wade's 'Confessions of a Showgirl,' according to the complaint. 

'They continued using it anyway, expanding it across a coordinated commercial program and distributing it through retail channels reaching millions of consumers,' the lawsuit said, referring to Swift's team. Wade is claiming that she 'was never contacted' about the name.

Wade's attorney Jaymie Parkkinen said in the filing that Swift's marketing was 'all directed at the same audience Plaintiff had spent years cultivating.'

Like Swift, California-native Wade – a one-time contestant on America's Got Talent – is no stranger to the stage. The former real estate agent started writing a column 'Confessions of a Showgirl' in Las Vegas Weekly back in 2014. She later adapted it into a book and a live show of the same name – a one-woman comedic cabaret which featured 'the quirky and hilarious world of a modern-day Vegas showgirl onstage and offstage.'

Money doesn't appear to be a factor for Wade whose father Keith Fromm owns a law firm as well as the iconic Stradella Court Mansion in Bel-Air. Worth $8.5 million, the luxury retreat has been used in films, commercials and high-end events.

Wade lives in a six-bedroom, four-bathroom $1 million property in Las Vegas with her business owner husband Harlan Flagg, 45, and their son.

'It's a surprise that she's even going down this road. It doesn't seem like her,' our insider said. 'It's probably just someone said something to her like "people are going to start confusing you." She's not the type to be like, "I want to get millions out of Taylor Swift."

'She's not a malicious person and she's not a money grabber... She came from a pretty wealthy family... I know her husband, he's got an amazing job. I know they make good money.'

Swift, who is no stranger to a highly publicized lawsuit, possesses more than 170 active or pending trademark registrations, which encompass specific names and phrases, under her brands TAS Rights Management and Bravado.

She has yet to comment on Wade's filing, but she has found support in Gayle King who leapt to her defense claiming she was 'Team Taylor' on CBS Mornings. 'I don't believe Taylor Swift looked at that album cover and thought "I'm going to do something with that."'

The Daily Mail has contacted representatives for Swift and Wade for comment.